Getting a divorce doesn’t always mean that your ex is out of your life for good.
Take Ryan Hambry and Morgan Dickson, for example. This former married couple — which was the focus of a recent Wall Street Journal story — finalized their divorce in April 2025. However, the two still live on the same property — Hambry lives in a beach bungalow in Cape Canaveral, Florida, while Dickson lives in a 19-foot Airstream trailer on the property [1].
Must Read
- Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don’t have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here’s how
- Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here’s what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP
- ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ author Robert Kiyosaki says this 1 asset will surge 400% in a year — and he begs investors not to miss its ‘explosion’
As Hambry and Dickson explain, this unique domestic situation wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for a great mortgage rate. During the COVID pandemic, when mortgage rates plummeted to record lows, Hambry and Dickson refinanced their mortgage at roughly 2%.
Now, with rates well above 6% — and home prices steadily increasing — the potential cost of moving out of the Florida home doesn’t seem to appeal to either of them. Instead, Hambry and Dickson have chosen to preserve their 2% loan with this unique domestic arrangement, even if it does present some challenges.
“The finances can work,” Hambry shared with the WSJ. “The boundaries are harder.”
While this kind of living situation is not exactly normal, Hambry and Dickson aren’t the first to give it a shot. This kind of arrangement is often referred to as “nesting” — the children stay in the family home while the parents rotate in and out after a separation or divorce.
Nesting isn’t a new phenomenon — in fact, according to the BBC, this kind of arrangement has been commonplace in Sweden since the 1970s [2]. And since the costs of buying a home are going up, this kind of arrangement is slowly becoming more popular here in America.
How common is nesting?
In a typical nesting arrangement, each parent stays in the home with the children during their agreed custody period, while living elsewhere when they are not looking after the kids. This arrangement gets its name from the behavior of bird parents, who leave their chicks safe in the nest while flying in and out to take care of them.
Beyond the financial benefits, the mental health of children coping with their parents separating can also be a driving factor in choosing this arrangement.
“We wanted to keep stability for the kids, and not just tear up everything all at once,” Niklas Björling, a 38-year-old divorcee from Stockholm, shared with the BBC [2]. Björling and his ex maintained a nesting arrangement for eight months after the two had separated.
While nesting is still a fairly unknown concept in many parts of the world, it seems to be gaining traction in Western countries, particularly among middle-class families.
According to the BBC, divorce lawyers in countries like the U.S., The Netherlands and Australia have reported an increase in nesting arrangements. In fact, a study by Coop Legal Services found that 11% of divorced or separated parents in the U.K. have tried it out [2].
For many, nesting is a “transitional or temporary arrangement,” according to Dr. Ann Buscho, a therapist based in California who has written about nesting. However, Dr. Buscho adds that a few of her clients have nested for several years.
Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it
The financial side of nesting
For Hambry and Dickson, nesting preserved both their 2% mortgage rate and their kids’ routine. Meanwhile, by avoiding the necessity to rent an apartment, Dickson has managed to save more than $10,000 in the last seven months.
While nesting to preserve a favorable mortgage rate may be a little too unconventional for some, there are undeniable advantages when it comes to the dollars and cents.
Let’s say, for example, that Hambry and Dickson purchased their Florida home for $360,000 with a 20% ($72,000) down payment and a 30-year fixed mortgage. Applying a 2% mortgage rate to their remaining balance ($288,000) would give Hambry and Dickson a monthly mortgage payment of around $1,064.
In contrast, a report from Freddie Mac has the current 30-year fixed rate at around 6.3% [3]. If Hambry and Dickson were to apply a 6.3% rate to their $288,000 mortgage balance, their monthly mortgage payment would be around $1,782.
That’s $718 less per month on the 2% loan, which works out to roughly $8,616 saved per year. Over a full 30-year term, Hambry and Dickson could save around $258,480 with the 2% rate. That’s a lot of savings that they’d be giving up if they sold the Florida home, bought new houses for themselves and took on a 6.3% mortgage rate all on their own.
These numbers offer a compelling argument that supports the nesting arrangement, but there’s a flipside that can have a negative effect on the real estate market. Housing professionals call it the “lock-in” effect, where homeowners who have low mortgage rates decide to keep their homes instead of listing them.
If a large number of homeowners with low mortgage rates keep their homes off the market, the housing supply could get a little tight. And when housing supply is tight, housing costs tend to increase for both buyers and renters.
Tips for those thinking about nesting
Nesting may be the answer for separated couples who are willing to work on it together, but it may not work for everyone. For example, it wouldn’t be recommended for high-conflict splits where communication has broken down or remains a challenge.
If you’re considering a nesting arrangement, here are some important things to think about.
Run the numbers
Use your lender or Fannie Mae calculators to figure out how much you and your former partner can save with a nesting arrangement. When making your decision, keep in mind that any financial benefits should be weighed against emotional costs and complications that may arise by sharing the same space with your ex.
Consult a financial adviser
A financial adviser can help you run the numbers to see if a nesting arrangement is a viable option for you and your ex. An adviser can also help you explore any other options if nesting is off the table.
Get everything in writing
A written nesting agreement should cover practical issues like schedules, privacy rules, shared bills, an exit timeline, and what happens if there’s a dispute. Documenting all arrangements also makes it easier in the future if there are ever disputes that need to be resolved.
Plan for your kids’ well-being
If you decide that a nesting arrangement is right for you, therapists and family experts recommend checking in regularly to make sure the arrangement is serving the children’s emotional needs.
Your kids may benefit from the continuity of staying in the same house, but as parents, you’ll have to figure out tricky nuances like potentially giving the kids false hope that their parents are getting back together, or exposing them to parental tension.
Hambry and Dickson’s story shows that there’s a solid case to be made for nesting in order to keep a super-low mortgage rate. The monthly and lifetime savings can be huge, but those savings should be weighed against the concerns mentioned above, as well as the long-term well-being of everyone in the family.
What to read next
- Ultra-rich Americans are ditching stocks and real estate, says this investing legend — 5 assets they’re using to shockproof their millions
- I’m 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don’t panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast)
- There’s still a 35% chance of a recession hitting the American economy this year — protect your retirement savings with these 5 essential money moves ASAP
- This tiny hot Costco item has skyrocketed 74% in price in under 2 years — but now the retail giant is restricting purchase. Here’s how to buy the coveted asset in bulk
Join 200,000+ readers and get Moneywise’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.
Article sources
At Moneywise, we consider it our responsibility to produce accurate and trustworthy content people can rely on to inform their financial decisions. We rely on vetted sources such as government data, financial records and expert interviews and highlight credible third-party reporting when appropriate.
We are committed to transparency and accountability, correcting errors openly and adhering to the best practices of the journalism industry. For more details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
[1]. Wall Street Jobs. “They’re Divorced. A 2% Mortgage Is Keeping Them Together.”
[2]. BBC. “Birdnesting: The divorce trend where parents rotate homes”
[3]. Freddie Mac. “Archive”
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.